Yin & Yang

I was thinking about Bolter's chapter four, especially pages 52-54 and figure 4.2. Bolter talks about the USA Snapshots from USA Today and mentions the graphs and how "we can discern a tension between textual and visual modes of representation (Bolter, p.52)." Bolter also talks about the designer distrusting the viewer's faith in numerical abstraction which is why the designer drew two razors to assist the viewer in understanding the graph (Bolter, p. 52). From an artist's viewpoint, I do not think that there is tension between the various design elements or a distrust in the viewers' capabilities. Designers will make both text and images work with and for each other. I don't see it as tension, I see it as harmony. And although I have to agree that movies such as "Idiocracy" may be a true glimpse into the possibility of a dim, unintellectual future, I don't think we are there yet. I do not believe that there is a distrust in the viewers being able to read a total of three numbers. The design field, especially commercial art (now usually only referred to as graphic design) is extremely competitive. Designers must find ways to be creative with every line, picture, paper, graphic, or whatever else they are working with.


For example, I was in a design class at the University of North Texas and our first written project was due (we were using both text and images). A couple of students turned in their projects early, and instead of being praised for being on top of their work and assignments, they were criticized in front of the class because of a lack of creativity since they turned in their tidy work in a binder. After this display, the rest of us turning things in on time were expected to create something in which to submit our work-- ordinary binders were unacceptable. An hour and a half later, I finished sewing a red plaid notebook, complete with strap and buckle. Our teacher was a lunatic, and did not have her contract renewed after the following semester, but she was correct about the "packaging" of our products/projects. My point is: if this kind of creativity is expected in college courses, it is demanded in the design field.


There are certainly issues to consider as far as how we view the computer as a writing space. However, with texts and images in a society that makes the most of our sense of sight, I find that words and pictures are the yin and yang of our method of communication, whether on a computer screen or in print.
(image from: mor.phe.us/writings/Yin-Yang.html)

Techno-Literacy Memior

I often type away on an assignment, text message, or email and never think about the keys, cords, or codes making it possible. Between the “omg- what r u doing? ” on text messaging to citations for a formal paper worth half of my grade in a nine hundred dollar course, I take for granted the complexity of technology.

One of my first encounters with technology wasn't very technological at all. Disney had produced a miniature fake television in which I would wind the little TV knob and it would play “It’s a Small World After All” and a little picture would circulate behind a warped “screen” to make it appear as if there was more movement than what was actually happening. That was great for a few minutes, but after seeing all of the Disney cartoons and movies and then comparing them, the fake Disney TV quickly lost my interest.


I have such fond memories of the original Lite Brite—with the exception of losing those tiny little color plugs. It was a perforated canvas where I would write out the few words that I could spell, and draw pictures over and over. Turning out the light to see my work glow in the dark basement was beautiful. Well, to a five year old, anyway. (click to play->) litebrite (photo from: ebay)


(click to play->) etch-a-sketch (photo from: ebay)


I got my first taste of gaming technology with my brother’s miniature Pacman arcade game. It was shaped like the actual arcade games but it was smaller than a shoebox. Any Pacman game would have been fun, but to have it so creatively designed with little joysticks and sound effects was absolutely addictive. (click to play->) pacman (photo from: www.maniacworld.com)

Leaping onto the scene next was Frogger. I played this so much that I kept getting the little song caught in my mind. After all these years I have never forgotten the sound Frogger made when he was squashed by a truck or sinking to the bottom of the river. Sometimes it was worth sacrificing Frogger for that noise. Looking back I can see how it helped to develop problem solving skills as well as being hours of fun. (click to play->) frogger (photo from: www.gamefreex.com)

The next memorable technology was the founding father of games as we know them today: Atari. Problem solving and hand eye coordination were developed, as well as an addiction. Atari was also good in desensitizing me in terms of seeing computer graphics like words, images, and interactive animation. Technology became less foreign and much more welcoming.


The Commodore 64 was my first real introduction to computers. I mostly just played the games. I’m not sure there was actually anything else to do on it. My parents had me playing the math long jump game where the little stick figure would jump further every time I got a problem correct and “bust it” when I did not. There was also a hangman game that helped me get accustomed with typing on a keyboard. (click to play commodore 64's top list of games->) commodore 64 games





I have much better memories of the Commodore 64 and typing on it than I do with the DOS systems. One reason that I’m hesitant in jumping right into modern computers with full confidence is because of this torture device. MS DOS made me appreciate type writers. I always felt like if I did something wrong on the DOS systems, the entire thing would just explode and I would have to buy the school a new computer. Or, I would explode, thus killing the machine with my bare hands, and thus still having to buy the school a new computer.



(Meltdown photo from http://www.ahajokes.com/)

("Office Space" photo from: http.blogs.eweek.com/office-space.jpg)

All of the above mentioned technology helped me with integrating technology into my everyday life and also helped with problem solving and in some cases, creativity. As far as creativity and development as a writer, one of the first devices I give credit to is the tape recorder. I had a beautiful baby-piglet-pink tape recorder/radio. My friends and I would record fake radio shows, inclusive of advertisements, music, sound effects, and even the dog breathing. We wrote it all, even the music. Well, I was the only one who could play an instrument, but we found other things for everyone to make music with. This tape recorder was essential in helping me develop a better story-telling ability, diversity in my stories, and better character development. My tape recorder was as important to the development of my writing ability as pencil and paper.

Then there was Nintendo. Wow. Killing hours and hours, but learning problem solving, and patience. Nothing else needs to be said about Nintendo-- it speaks for itself. (click to play->) super mario (photo from: www.onlinesupermario.com/)

The word processor was a gift from heaven for me as a writer. My penmanship is atrocious and I make a lot of errors typing, so I was never the first to finish my typing projects with the typewriter. Being able to rearrange and copy text has probably saved me time in the amount of years from writing and re-writing.


Not to say that I don't have some negative feelings towards some things... (photos from: http://www.ahajokes.com/)


I believe that the word processor has also been valuable in the visual appeal of writing as well. The different fonts, colors, and page layouts are very important in terms of attracting a reader through the aesthetics of the text. It was also very helpful in a poetry class where the professor wanted a visually appealing poem as well as (hopefully) a poem of artistic quality. I am not sure I was able to deliver the latter, but just like the Lite Brite, I had no problem arranging what was on my canvas, be it the plastic holes or the computer screen.

Without a doubt, the Internet has been the most important technology to help me develop as a better writer. I think the Internet, if used correctly, can assist just about anyone with the development of just about anything. Quotes, statistics, databases, pictures, videos, history, literature, dictionaries/thesaurus are only a mouse click away. Information, feedback, help, and examples for writing are piled up in cyberspace waiting to be pulled down onto the screen to assist me in whatever I am writing at that time.

Email is very helpful in writing development. I pay closer attention to everything I write, even if it is to friends, than I ever would have with just pen and paper. All day long I am conscious about trying to be correct and coherent in everything that I write. I am able to get more opinions and proof reading with emailing friends than if I had to track them down and deliver a manuscript. I also find that I pay closer attention in finding the voice of the writer in what I read because of emails. As I read messages from friends, I can pick up emphasis, tone, emotion, and mood because I know these people, and know how they would speak these words to me. However, I am also conscious of this in other people’s emails and writing.




Technology has been a huge part of my development as a writer. Technology: I love it; I hate it; I create with it; and I can't do without it.

Baby Step Blog

I've avoided blogs for as long as I have known about them. Maybe it was a fear of exposing too much, or perhaps a fear of seeing too much of others due to their exposure. Wait-- I think it was actually peomophobia. You know, being forced to read every body's really bad poetry on their My Space and Facebook and wherever else they can post it. There's so much of it that even the good poetry in the mix starts to wear on me. I guess I should just be happy that people are exploring their creative sides and trying to appreciate the written arts. See-- I'm already overcoming my fears.

I use the phrase "written arts" to refer to the digital canvas as well as the paper, parchment, stone, wood, or even skin canvases-- whatever medium the artist chooses. We've discussed in Dr.Pace's class how the web is not always viewed as true writing. In Jay David Bolter's book, "Writing Space" there is a lot of discussion as to what a writing space actually is. Is the printed word and bound book the only real form of writing, or can writing actually include cyberspace and solely the human mind? Coming from the view of an artist, I say the artist chooses their medium. Christo uses thousands of yards of fabric (above is his "Running Fence"), Michelangelo used marble, Andy Warhol used screen prints, and many others have used whatever the hell they wanted. The viewers may decide that some particular form of art is not for them, and even consider the form sub-standard. Regardless of opinion, it is still art. Does modern art routinely piss me off? Yes. But it is still art.

As I listen to my husband snoring in his favorite chair, and my Yorkie snoring on the couch, I think I'll finish up and continue to bore you at a later time.

(Image : http://www.christojeanneclaude.net/)